Thomas mccarthy



(No Model T. MGGA HY' DESK. No. 522,849. Patented-July 10,1894. 7

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THOMAS MCCARTHY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,849, dated July 10,1894.

Application filed October 27, 1891. Renewed February 4, 1894:. SerialNo. 499.207. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MCCARTHY, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Desks, of which the following is a descriptionsufficiently full,

' clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science towhich said invention appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a secretaryprovided with my improved fall ,or lid stop and representing the same inuse. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same showing thestop in side elevation; and Fig. 3 a perspective view of a portion ofthe desk showing the fall closed.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures of the drawings.

My invention relates to an automatic stop or support for the fall or lidof that class of writing desks commonly known as secretaries; and itconsists in certain novel features hereinafter fully set forth andclaimed, the objectbeing to produce a simpler, cheaper and moreeffective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the desk considered as a whole. The deskmay be of any ordinary form and construction and is provided with ahinged lid or fall, 13, adapted to be turned downward into horizontalposition in the usual manner.

In the lower portion of the desk drawers, C, are mounted, and a shelf,d, to the outer edge of which the fall, B, is hinged, forms the top ofthe drawer-case. The pigeon-hole case, D, is disposed on the shelf, (1,and the fall; B, closes the top of the desk. In the front of the desk ateach end of the upper drawer, C, a vertical slot, f, is formed openingthrough said front into the drawer case. The shelf, d, is beveled at, g,in the top of the slots, f. A stop, H, preferably a block or plateapproximately triangular in form is pivoted by a corner at, h, in thebottom of each slot, f. The inner edges of the stops are provided with acounterbalance weight, 2', tending to throw the stop inward.

When the fall, B, is closed as in Fig. 3, the outer corner, 70, of thestops overlaps slightly the lower edge, m, of the fall. The weights, 2',throw the stops inward so that their outer edges are substantially flushwith the face of the desk. When the lid is turned downward, the end, k,of the stops being in engagement therewith, said stops are caused toswing outward until their counterbalanced ends engage the shelf, d. Atthis point the lid is in alignment with the shelf and is supported bysaid stops as shown in Fig.2. The counterbalance, r', causes the stopsto fall gradually inward as the lid is closed in a manner that will bereadily understood by all conversant with such matters without a moreexplicit description.

It will be understood that I do not confine myself to employing thetriangular plate or body, shown, for a stop as any construction of frameor arm hinged or pivoted in the desk body and adapted to be projected byand support the lid when open may be substituted if desired.

Moreover, instead of counterbalancing the inner corner of the stop, itsouter end maybe counterbalanced and arranged to be released and fallwhen the lid is lowered.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is 1. A stop for desklids comprising a body pivoted to swing vertically in the desk front,the ends of said body at opposite sides of its fulcrum respectivelyprojecting within the desk in position to engage a stop and out wardlyin continuous sliding contact with the outer face of said lid,substantially as described.

2. In a desk, the hinged lid incombination with a stop thereforcomprising a body pivoted in a slot in the desk front, said body closingsaid slot when the lid is closed and projecting into constant slidingcontact with the outer face of said lid; and a stop for a portion'of thebody out of contact with the lid whereby it may support the lid whenopen, substantially as described.

3. A stop for desk lids comprising a trian gular plate pivoted by acorner to swing verthe outer end of said stop being in sliding I0tically in the desk front, the inner end of said contact with said lidand its inner end adapted plate being provided with a counterbalance toengage said shelf when the lid is opened, and projecting Within the deskand its outer substantially as described. end being in sliding contactwith said lid, substantially as described. 7

4. The desk, A, provided With the lid, B, Vitnesses: and shelf, 02, incombination with the pivoted O. M. SHAW, stop, H, provided with acounterbalance, i, I K. DURFEE.

THOMAS MCCARTHY.

